Archive for the ‘Carlisle Events’ tag

When Winter AutoFest begins Feb. 19 in Zephyrhills, Florida, not far from Tampa, it will mark the end of a long era. Carlisle Events, which has run the show in this location for several years, announced it will be moving the annual event (and its fall equivalent) from Zephyrhills, Florida, to a new location, the Sun n’ Fun complex in Lakeland, central Florida. The first event to be held in Lakeland will be the Fall Florida AutoFest, scheduled for November 2015; the Winter Florida AutoFest will follow in early 2016.

For this winter, however, event-goers can look forward to a two-day car auction, a car corral and a very significant swap meet at the traditional Zephyrhills location. Carlisle Auctions will present the sale, which usually runs about 300 cars.; they’ll go to the block under Carlisle’s policy that no fees will be charged to consigners if the vehicle doesn’t sell. A new fillip next year will be the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow competition, in which teams of high-school students will tear down and then reassemble a Chevrolet engine under the clock. The Zephyrhills Winter AutoFest is scheduled to take place from February 19-22, 2015. Want to learn more? Visit CarlisleEvents.com or call 717-243-7855.

On the global stage, the United States typically works with its allies to resolve conflicts of all sorts. Next year, however, the United States will have no allies to rely on as it takes on every other auto-producing country on its own in the third annual Philadelphia Auto Show Face-Off.

Conceived for the 2013 edition of the Philadelphia Auto Show – normally a display of the latest new cars – as a way to get local collector car enthusiasts to participate by putting their cars on the show floor – the face-offs pit two popular categories of cars in a static battle for the affections of other show attendees. While both prior editions focused on domestic rivalries (Ford Mustang versus Chevrolet Camaro in 2013, Ford versus Mopar performance cars in 2014), the 2015 edition will pit any and all cars built in the United States against those built outside of the country.

As was the case last year, the Philadelphia Auto Show tapped the staff at Carlisle Events to help fill out the rosters for both sides of the face-off.

“The people at the Philadelphia Auto Show are obviously fans of more than just domestic cars, so this is an opportunity to get them involved in the face-off as well,” said Ed Scholly, Carlisle’s associate director of business and event development, who is heading up Carlisle’s involvement in the faceoff. “While domestics do get a lot of attention at our shows, we do get a strong showing from all brands at the Import and Kit Nationals.”

No longer restricted to muscle cars, the faceoff will be open to any collector car from any era and from any manufacturer. The faceoff will also grow for the 2015 edition, with more room on the show floor dedicated to the cars taking part. Scholly said that rather than the 15 or so vehicles per side that took part in the last two years, the faceoff can now accommodate about 20 vehicles per side.

Michael Picone’s 1963 Ford Galaxie 427 R-Code XL, a member of the Ford team in 2014. Photos courtesy of Carlisle events.

When the Philadelphia Auto Show rolls into town next month, it won’t be just new cars that visitors are gawking over. Following last year’s inaugural Philadelphia Auto Show Face-Off, which pitted the Chevrolet Camaro against the victorious Ford Mustang, Carlisle Events has stepped in to increase its support of this year’s Face-Off, which will see Ford throw down against Mopar.

While 2013’s debut event showcased only the Ford Mustang (of any vintage) against the Chevrolet Camaro (also of any vintage), this year’s Face-Off will open up to a broader range of muscle cars. In the blue-oval corner, expect to see Mustangs alongside cars like the Torino, Fairlane, Galaxie, Mercury Cougar and more. On the Chrysler Corporation side, expect the display to include Chargers, Challengers, ‘Cudas and Road Runners, just to name a few likely candidates. As in 2013, entry is limited to those in the Philadelphia area belonging to local car clubs, but muscle cars from any year can be registered for a chance to make each “team.” Repeating as Ford coach for 2014 will be Carlisle Ford Nationals event manager Ken Appell, who’ll be competing against Mopar coach Ed Buczeskie, the event manager for the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals.

Appell and Buczeskie have the unenviable job of selecting “team member cars” from all entries submitted by local car club members, narrowing down both Ford and Mopar submissions to pick a total of 12 cars. As with last year, show attendees will cast votes for their favorite display, and the winning clubs will receive a $2,500 donation in their names to the local child-related 501(c)(3) charity of their choice. Clubs that helped to support the winning effort will also get to share a purse of $1,000.

The event, co-sponsored by Carlisle Events and the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia (ADAGP), is all in good fun, but it also helps to promote the hobby by educating attendees about muscle cars old and new. Volunteers in each display will be on hand to answer questions about the cars exhibited, hopefully helping to create a new generation of car enthusiasts (or at least a new appreciation for vintage muscle cars).

The 2014 Philadelphia Auto Show will run from February 8-16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. For additional information on the event, visit PhillyAutoShow.com. For information on submitting your Ford or Mopar muscle car for display, visit CarlisleEvents.com.

Monkeemobile number two, sold by Barrett-Jackson in 2008. Photo courtesy Barrett-Jackson.

As rock and roll began continued to explode in popularity in the mid-1960s, Hollywood decided it wanted in on the action. Launched in 1966, the television series The Monkees followed the adventures of an at-first-fictional rock band struggling for stardom. Central to the show (and as recognizable as the actors themselves) was the band’s vehicle, a customized 1966 Pontiac GTO built by the legendary Dean Jeffries. Next June, one of two cars originally constructed for the series will make an appearance at the GM Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Linking the Pontiac GTO to a television series about struggling rock stars was the brainchild of Pontiac’s promotion guru, Jim Wangers. Wangers convinced Pontiac that exposure on the show would lead to increased sales among the all-important youth market, and Wangers assured Pontiac executives that modifications to the cars would be tasteful. Pontiac’s management agreed to the idea, and a pair of 1966 Pontiac Tempest GTO convertibles (each fitted with the Super Hydra-Matic automatic transmission) were delivered to customizer Dean Jeffries.

As Tom Cotter relates in his book, Dean Jeffries: 50 Fabulous Years in Hot Rods, Racing and Film, Jeffries was given a near-impossible deadline to produce the cars. Working with two assistants, Jeffries stretched the front end of the car by 21 inches, restyling the nose but retaining the critical GTO grille and logo. The rear was extended by 18 inches, and reconfigured with custom taillamps and a parachute; inside, Jeffries and crew cut out the trunk to build a wraparound bench seat, then covered the interior with a non-functional, Model T-style tan canvas top. Though the wheelbase looks longer than a stock 1966 GTO, it’s not; this is an optical illusion caused by the car’s extended front and rear.

Next came the engine work, and the two cars were originally fitted with GMC 6-71 superchargers and custom fender-exit exhausts to produce more thrust. The bolt-ons worked a bit too well, as the car designated for the television series proved all but undriveable; in compromise, Jeffries left the blower on car number two, which would be used for promotional appearances (along with the occasional exhibition wheelie or burnout). Car number one would retain the blower shell, hollowed out to cover up the four-barrel carburetor feeding the 389-cu.in. V-8 below. In just 10 days, Jeffries and his crew completed car number one; four days later, car number two was done as well.

Pontiac management, specifically GM John DeLorean, was not pleased with Jeffries’s creations, which had (in Pontiac’s eyes, anyway) pushed the envelope just a little too far. As there was no time remaining before filming of the television series began, the division approved the use of the Monkeemobile and awaited the wrath of GM management. Had the show bombed, or Pontiac GTO sales declined, it’s likely that heads would have rolled; what happened, however, was just the opposite. Though the Monkeemobile was customized, it still was recognizable as a GTO, and Wangers’s efforts to cross-promote the car (with breakfast cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s) exposed a whole new generation of car-enthusiasts-to-be to the Pontiac brand.

For two seasons and 58 episodes, the car starred alongside actor/musicians Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Davy Jones. By the time the show ended production, the Monkees’ musical career had actually taken off, and for a brief period in 1967 the band outsold both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The Monkeemobile was still a focal point of the band’s image, so when Dean Jeffries refused an offer to repurchase the cars for $1,000 each, one car accompanied the band on its tours. In 1968, on the band’s Pacific Rim tour, this car (number one, the car used in the filming of the television series) was left behind in Australia.

Decades later, the car, now reportedly painted pink, resurfaced in Puerto Rico, where it was used as a shuttle vehicle for a hotel. In 1992, following the hotel’s failure, the car was seized and auctioned by the Puerto Rican government, selling for a price of just $5,000. Now in the collection of a private owner in the suburbs of New York City, the car has been mechanically and cosmetically restored, and has even appeared in an ABC television movie about the band. Considered to be the most historically accurate of the Monkeemobiles, this is the car that will be appearing in Carlisle next June.

As for Monkeemobile number two, it wound up in the collection of George Barris, who had the car “restored and updated” prior to selling it at a 2008 Barrett-Jackson auction, where it realized a selling price of $396,000 (including buyer’s fees). This car has been “amended” with the addition of modern headlamps, a high-end audio system (complete with a modern head unit, amps, subwoofers and LCD screens for rear-seat passengers), a white cloth top (instead of the original’s tan top) and other improvements designed to “improve driveability.” Counter to this claim, the car’s original 19-gallon gas tank was removed (presumably to make room for the audio upgrades) and replaced with a compact eight-gallon tank from Moon.

Carlisle’s GM Nationals are scheduled to take place from June 20-22, 2014. For further details, visit CarlisleEvents.com.

Steve Saleen achieved cult hero status in the 1980s and 1990s transforming Mustang street cars into track-day weapons while racking up scores of wins with his race cars in SCCA Trans-Am competition. Among his legions of fans, Saleen is a rock star, though the former USC business major has often been described as “unassuming” – quite the opposite of the man he’s usually compared to, the late Carroll Shelby. Those enthusiasts will have the opportunity to meet Saleen at the Carlisle Ford Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this Friday and Saturday, June 7-8.

Saleen, 64, was born April 2, 1949, in Inglewood, California, and started club racing in his father’s 1956 Porsche 356. In the late 1970s, he moved up to the Formula Atlantic Series and, in 1980, finished third overall – an impressive accomplishment considering that eventual Indy 500 and F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve was the top finisher in the series that year.

Saleen then turned to SCCA Trans-Am in 1982, driving a Ford Mustang – which is what led him to begin developing his own street-going, race-ready Saleen Mustangs. The new company, first called Saleen Autosport and then Saleen Performance, produced its first three cars in 1984. Saleen drove one to a win at the 24-hour endurance race at Mosport International Raceway in Canada, proving that it was more than just a tuned-up Mustang. In 1988, Saleen Mustangs dominated the race at Mosport, grabbing the top three finishing spots.

Saleen’s serial-numbered, Corvette-challenging Mustangs – sold with warranties through Ford dealerships – brought him Shelby-like stardom in the 1980s. But 1994 saw the introduction of the company’s most extensively modified Mustang to date, the S-351. The 1994-1999 Saleen S-351 cars were delivered to Saleen Performance as V-6 coupes and convertibles then stripped almost completely to a bare shell.

A 371hp 351 was then installed in the engine bay (with an inch of setback) armed with a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads, a reworked GT40 intake, a roller camshaft, a 65mm throttle body, a 73mm mass-air sensor and a K&N air filter. Ceramic-coated headers were also standard Saleen stuff, feeding big 2.5-inch stainless pipes with Borla mufflers. A Ford Motorsports 10.5-inch clutch and a Tremec TR3555 five-speed put the power to an 8.8-inch Mustang rear. For more power and more rapid acceleration, a Vortech supercharger was optional, as were 3.55:1 gears.

List price for the 1994 S-351 was hefty at $33,500, but the performance was very respectable for the time. Road & Track recorded a 14.3-second quarter mile with a 1994 S-351 as well as an impressive .97g on the skid pad. In 1997, all S-351s were equipped with superchargers, bringing the power up to 510hp, and a six-speed manual became the standard transmission. This was the powertrain used up until production of the S-351 stopped in 1999.

In 1996, Saleen introduced the S-281 as an entry level Saleen sports car with a base price of $29,000. The S-281 was more like the cars that Saleen built in the 1980s combining the stock 4.6-liter V-8 with a host of body and chassis modifications. These bread-and-butter Saleens were popular with buyers and continued on through 2010.

Saleen’s most audacious feat (well, maybe aside from entering a car in the Indianapolis 500, but failing to qualify) was the S-7, which he introduced in 2000. The S-7 was a half-million-dollar, mid-engine, carbon-fiber-bodied American supercar built to take on the world’s fastest exotics. The street car was basically a toned-down version of the S-7R race car, with less horsepower and a different transmission. Still, even the naturally aspirated car was too fast for most: 3.3 seconds to 60 MPH, 7.6 seconds to 100 MPH and 11.6 seconds in the quarter at 126 MPH.

The S-7 was assembled in Irvine, California, where the Saleen Mustangs were built. Its mid-engine chassis was Le Mans spec, built by Britain’s RML Group: a labyrinth of 4130 steel tubing, composite honeycomb panels, and fully adjustable four-wheel independent suspension. The carbon-fiber body, too, was built by race car manufacturers in Britain and designed by Phil Frank to generate incredible amounts of downforce. Grip wasn’t a problem for the S-7, which could post numbers beyond 1g on the skidpad. The all-aluminum dry-sump 7-liter engine was old-school pushrod and based around a bored and stroked 351 Windsor. Naturally aspirated, it made 550hp and 525-lbs.ft. of torque. With twin Garrett turbos, it made a conservative 750hp and 700-lbs.ft. of torque. A longitudinally mounted six-speed transaxle put the power to the ground via a 5.5-inch four-plate hydraulic clutch.

Though the S-7 street cars boasted power windows, air conditioning and modern sound systems, they lacked stuff that everyone takes for granted like adjustable seats, inside rearview mirrors (opting for a camera instead) and, these days, air bags. Production of the S-7 ceased around 2009 as the company’s fortunes worsened. By 2011, Saleen (the company) was no longer producing vehicles at all, selling only parts, while Saleen (the man) sold vehicles under his SMS brand. Last year, in court, he won back the right to his name and products, so a new chapter in the ongoing Saleen saga has begun as Saleen has resumed production.

At this year’s Carlisle Ford Nationals, there will be a “Saleen owners only” autograph session on Friday and an autograph session on Saturday with Saleen open to the show-going public. Saleen will also host seminars with Q and A sessions at the Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club tent, and he is scheduled to participate in the 400-car parade at Carlisle. For more information, visit CarlisleEvents.com.

Welcome to the month of June. For collector-car owners, it’s a time to rejoice. All traces of winter are but a distant memory. There’s been enough rain to wash away the road salt. And with the sun setting on the western horizon later, there’s more time for all of us to enjoy those beautiful collector cars. Which means the car show season is kicking into high gear. We’ve quickly scanned the event calendar and made notes on a few of the biggies in just a matter of seconds; they are either shows we’ve attended in the past, possibly plan on attending this year, or a combination of the two.

In order of appearance, we’ll start with Bloomington Gold, held at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois, June 21-24, perhaps one of the biggest and most respected Corvette gatherings in the United States. Two of its highlights are the Survivor judging (pictured above) and the Mecum auction. This is the final year for the event in St. Charles – Bloomington Gold will be moving to Champaign, Illinois, next year.

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is never still very long; it jumps back to life – in terms of collectible automobiles – from June 22-24 when Carlisle Events opens their fairground gates to the All-GM Nationals. True, it’s been dominated by the Camaro, but there’s been a healthy showing from GM brands across the board in both stock and modified guises. As is typical of all Carlisle events throughout the summer months, there’s plenty to see and do other than the car show itself.

The Buick Club of America rolls into NASCAR Country June 27-30 for their annual National meet. This year’s site is Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, just a short drive from downtown Charlotte. Hosted by the Carolina Chapter, the four-day affair has several tours planned (including the self-guided variety to area NASCAR race shops) as well as an indoor and outdoor swap meet. The host hotel is less than three miles from the famed 1.50-mile, high-banked speedway.

The Mopar faithful turn their Pentastars towards Carlisle on July 6-8 for the All-Chrysler Nationals. We’ve had the pleasure of attending this event several times in recent years, and it’s always appeared to us to be one big family party on wheels. If you haven’t been yet, it’s worth the trip.

Also on July 6-7 is the 30th Classic Auto Show and Cruise-In at the Ohio Metro Center in Dublin, Ohio. The weekend’s festivities – a cruise-in on Friday and a car show on Saturday – benefits the Arthritis Foundation of Central Ohio. If you’re going to be near the area, organizers have a lot in store for attendees.

There’s a two-in-one chance to catch up with some of the legends of drag racing – both the cars and the stars who drove them – from July 13-15. The York Expo Center in York, Pennsylvania, is once again the site of the 11th annual York Reunion and Musclecar Madness show; celebrating the glory years of the York U.S. 30 dragstrip. This portion of the event is actually held on July 13-14, at which point most attendees head north to Beaver Springs for the 9th Annual Nostalgia Nationals portion of the show. Drag racing at this 1/4-mile runs from July 14-15.

Auto enthusiasts across the land are familiar with Carlisle, Pennsylvania, home of the well-known fairgrounds that hosts a range of car-centric events spanning from spring to fall each year, with specialties to appeal to gearheads of varying persuasions. Over the years since Carlisle Events was founded in the mid-1970s, the scope of events and activities has steadily expanded, and now the organization is branching out beyond the borders of its humble hamlet.

Beginning this summer, Carlisle is teaming with Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, to produce an event that had previously been known as the Bloomsburg Annual Rod and Custom Cruise-In. The joint venture between Carlisle Events, the Dream Machines Motor Club and the Bloomsburg Fair Association will be held at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds this summer, August 10-12. The retooled event, now known as The Bloomsburg Nationals powered by Carlisle Events, will offer features beyond the typical static car show, many of which are currently under development. However, Carlisle Events has confirmed that there will be a bull riding event on Friday evening and a concert on Saturday, which the organization says, “will feature a mainstream country act.” Car show activities and on-grounds entertainment specifics will be announced soon.

So just where is Bloomsburg, P-A? Located in Columbia County, along the mighty Susquehanna River and with convenient access to Interstate 80, the 227-acre fairgrounds is less than five miles from exit 232. We’re told the 2011 event at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds saw nearly 800 vehicles and 7,500 attendees; so with the added promotion for 2012, it promises to be an excellent turnout. Vehicles of all makes and models are eligible to participate in the event, which will also have vendor space and a car corral in addition to the showfield.

For more information, contact Carlisle Events at 717-243-7855 or visit CarlisleEvents.com.

Auctions America by RM has shifted the rebirth of the famed fall Auburn sale into high gear in just its second season at the Auburn Auction Park. It was held during the traditional Labor Day weekend date that coincides with the Auburn-Cord-Duesenburg Festival; the company recorded $18.5 million in sales (that figure includes 10, 12 and 15 percent buyer’s premiums on automotive, motorcycle and memorabilia lots, respectively), a figure that surpassed last year’s $13.4 million. In terms of the number of lots sold, it equates to 60.5 percent – about the same percentage as 2010 – but does not include the private transactions that occurred in the car corral or the swap meet, both of which were spearheaded by the joint venture with Pennsylvania-based Carlisle Events. Top sale at the auction was $396,000 for a 1936 Auburn 852 SC Boattail.

One of the more interesting lots offered by Auctions America was the Studebaker pictured above: a 1963 Avanti that had been presented to 1962 Indy 500 winner Roger Ward. Production delays prevented Roger from receiving the car on race day, but there’s another twist to the whole story. What was originally presented to the open wheel racer was an Avanti equipped with a supercharger, which did not permit the installation of air conditioning. Reportedly, Roger intended to drive the car, so Studebaker – at his request – instead gave Roger this particular model. So with all that Indiana history at an Indiana sale, it should have done well, right? Even touting its 94 out of 100 points judging result at the 2009 Avanti meet could not muster sales beyond the reserve; bidding ground to a halt at $30,000.

Looking back at our brief preview, one car that did crack the top six in sales was the 1934 Auburn 12 Salon Phaeton, which wound up second, with a selling bid of $292,600. As for the 1941 Cadillac woodie wagon with its Bar Harbor, Maine, history, it traded hands for the sum of $154,000. Next on our list was the Chrysler 440-powered 1975 Jensen Interceptor III, which sold for $48,400. As for the muscle cars we touched on, the A12 equipped 1969 Plymouth Road Runner – 1 of 422 – was bid up to $80,000, which failed to break through the seller’s reserve. Last, but certainly not least, the 5,500-mile 1969 Yenko Camaro was hotly contested among the registered bidders to the tune of $235,000, which is exactly where it stalled out at a no sale.

In addition, we did see several bargains for less than $10,000; full results can be found here. Next event for Auctions America is the Fall Carlisle sale September 29 through October1.

Dudes! Time to pull your old stone-washed jean jacket out of the closet, grab your Bon Jovi cassettes and head on down to Spring Carlisle in time to watch Auctions America by RM run this third-gen 1983 Chevy Camaro convertible across their auction block at the Carlisle Expo Center (across the street from Gate 3 by a block and a half). Although the Spring Carlisle swap meet opens on April 27, the auction runs from April 28-30; lots begin crossing the block at three in the afternoon (four on Saturday). As for this Camaro, it is one of the GM-authorized convertible conversions accomplished by Autoform; the seller claims one repaint and an odometer reading of 50,000 miles.

With the spring sale expanded this year to three days, there’s bound to be something for everyone’s taste. A quick scan through their early online catalog revealed an ample number of trucks, including the 1976 Ford F100 (pictured below), listed as containing a 302-cu.in. V-8 engine and an automatic transmission that pushed the truck to just – get this – 1,200 claimed miles; it’s also touted as being in completely original condition. For those who prefer something a little more vintage, there’s a 1923 Cadillac (Type 61 Victoria, by the looks of it), which the seller claims to be in original condition and one of two extant. For those who yearn for European flair, we also discovered a 1974 Maserati Merak; details were lacking at post time.

We’ll be in town to cover all the action – look for coverage in upcoming issues of Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Muscle Machines and Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car.

The process of consolidation in the auction world took a big step forward today, when Carlisle Events and RM subsidiary Auctions America announced a joint agreement.

In effect, Carlisle will get out of the auction business, and RM will get into swap meets: Auctions America will run the April Spring Carlisle and September Fall Carlisle auctions, and Carlisle will bring a swap meet and car corral to the May Auburn Spring and September Auburn Fall. According to a statement, the deal will “leverage each other’s core competencies to stage co-branded events,” and synergize relationary structures throughout the corporate gestalt, repurpose cross-platform deliverables and empower front-end mindshare, resulting in increased throughput.” I’m presuming they’ll sell cars, as well. Carlisle also brings 146 (I think) acres in Pennsylvania to the table, with Auction America’s 235 acres in Auburn.

The auction calendar has filled back up since Kruse folded, taking as many as four auctions in some months with them. Carlisle, with a captive audience and good facility, had an advantage that most small and regional auctions couldn’t match, but they still struggled to attract bidders in the last couple of seasons. This arrangement will put additional pressure on some of those sales; we’ve already seen Bud Ward and ICA suspend their 2011 schedule, while others folded up entirely. Several new auctions in the last 18 months failed to thrive, too. I’ll be surprised if more new agreements aren’t formed in the next six months or so.